The Hendon Pageant at the RAF Museum (20 – 21 June)

June 20, 2009

to

June 21, 2009

As part of D-Day celebrations, the theme for this year’s Hendon Pageant is “Summer of 44 – The Flight Path to Liberty”.

There will be a chance to meet re-enactors and view military vehicles, fire engines and ambulances from the period. Special tours, talks and interactive workshops will also be taking place. Learn First Aid 1940s style courtesy of St.John Ambulance, enjoy rousing music and swinging beats with our 1940s concerts, meet with Land Girls, Air Raid Wardens and members of the Service and learn what a normal day was like for these individuals in 1944.

Children will be able to make a popular toy from the period “Peg Dolls”; and for those who come in 1940s dress on Sunday 21st there will a special prize for Best Child and Best Adult costume, £100 worth of goodies from the Museum Shop. So get your glad rags on, put on your best hat and join in the fun.

On the Saturday, the Kew Wind Orchestra will be providing two concerts underneath our Lancaster in Bomber Hall at 12.15 and 2pm with the Dambusters March, 633 Squadron, Oklahoma and As Time Goes By form part of the orchestra’s programme.

The Barnet Band, back by popular request, will provide rousing musical entertainment on Father’s Day (the Sunday) at the same times.

On both days each concert will be immediately followed by the swinging harmonisations of the Polka Dot Girls performing hits from yesteryear such as “Don’t sit under the Apple Tree” and ” Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B”.

To truly get in the mood, before arriving at the Museum, why not take the Underground to Colindale?

For this special weekend the entire station will be placed on World War II footing with staff in period costume and the station dressed in full 1940s regalia with sandbags, watch tower and a display showing how London Underground kept the capital moving during the war.

With a regular bus service that will drop you directly outside the Museum Gates from Colindale Station you can leave the car at home and save those all important petrol vouchers. There’s rationing on you know, and we must all do our bit for King and Country!

Sunday 21st JuneLondon Underground in conjunction with the London Transport Museum will be running for the last time on the Northern Line the Museum’s 1938 train stock on two special trips; one at 11am and the other a 2pm from Edgware Station.

As a very special treat, to tie in with the Pageant’s Theme, on the Sunday at 3:30pm the Museum will host a Flypast of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight…and don’t forget our two new temporary exhibitions D-Day and Women of the Royal Air Force which have been specifically commissioned for this event will also be on display.